The number of fathers who give up work to look after their children has risen tenfold during the past decade, according to a study.

The number of fathers who give up work to look after their children has soared tenfold during the past decade, research suggests. Around 6% of fathers, or 600,000, now consider themselves to be their child's primary carer, said insurance firm Aviva.

Eighteen percent of couples said they shared childcare responsibilities equally.

The main reason families gave for men looking after the children was that the woman was the higher earner. The woman is the main breadwinner in 16% of families with dependent children.

The study also found that in 85% of households with children one parent had reduced working hours or given up work to look after their offspring. A third said they had done so because of the cost of childcare.

But many women who are the main earner find the role reversal difficult, with 37% saying they felt guilty about leaving their children. Fifteen percent admitted they occasionally resented the fact that their partner did not work.

Men appeared to be happier with the arrangement than women, with 75% saying they felt lucky to be able to spend so much time with their children.

Nearly a third said that looking after their offspring was more rewarding than going to work, although 10% admitted that looking after children made them feel less like a man.

Louise Colley, head of protection marketing for Aviva, said: "While both roles are equally valuable, nowadays it's quite likely that women will be heading off to the office while men are changing nappies and doing the school run."